How does Gardner Minshew change the Jaguars approach to the Draft?
Will the success of Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew play a role in how the team prepares for the upcoming NFL Draft?
The Jaguars are going into yet another season with a question mark at quarterback. Only this time, it’s more about who will start under center between to signal-callers who should battle it out for the starting job from the start of OTAs through the preseason.
It’s not as big of a deal as in year’s past. And with so many other holes to fill, the Jaguars should not need to draft a quarterback and stick with Gardner Minshew under center. Because of the rookie’s success, how will that play a role in how the front office prepares for the selection process in April?
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This past season, there were more low points in the Jaguars season than expected. Towards the end of 2019, those low points affected the roster, the coaching staff and the organization in such a way it was transparent.
It wasn’t normal. There were trade requests, a battle between newly signed Nick Foles and rookie Gardner Minshew II, and then to top it all off there was drama within the front office. It was a season many fans will remember as one of the worst in team history.
Minshew, the team’s sixth-round draft pick out of Washington State, was one of the team’s high points this past season. When the Jaguars top free-agent, Foles, went down with a shoulder injury Minshew stepped in and he played better than anyone would have expected. He played well enough even that once Foles was healthy but did not perform as the Jaguars had hoped, Minshew replaced him in the second half of the 28-11 loss to Tampa Bay and remained the starter the rest of the season.
Has his resume of work allowed him to keep the starting job or come into camp later this year as the starter with Foles looking to replace him in a battle during the summer? Here are a few thoughts I have on the topic.